My Foray into My Midwestern Roots

Cousins – close or distant?

Recently our family took our annual vacation to visit relatives in the midwest. During the trip, I gave my first cousin’s granddaughter a gift for her baby that is due this fall. When I was thanked for it, it was mentioned that she and I were third cousins. That’s not exactly true but that is how my family calculates.

Mom was never a fan of the “first cousin removed” type of saying – probably because it was never explained how one can be “removed” as a cousin. I finally “got it” after seeing a consanguinty chart. The key to any calculation is the closest ancestor to both.

There are several sites to determine how you are related to someone else. I like to use the relationship tool in my Family Tree Maker (v. 16) software. At It’s All Relative, there is an actual chart you can print to take to family reunions and gatherings to show relationships. Another site to check out is Cyndi’s List – Cousins & Kinship.

In order for me to show my relationship with the above mentioned cousin, I have included my chart below.

Despite the “distance” of our relationships within our family as well as the miles between us, I’d like to think that we are “close” – in heart, in common heritage, and in communication. Thanks to Facebook, we are able to keep in touch weekly or even daily if we choose – and more times than not, we find out interesting tidbits about each other and our families that we might not have even thought to relate in a phone call or a visit.